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Sunday, August 15, 2010

It's been almost 2 weeks since I returned from Portland and only now am I finding my way back to joining in with our wonderful online community by scanning, uploading and posting some images from the Symposium. It was truly an amazing gathering. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for me quite as well as I had hoped: I got hijacked by a toothache that now finally has resolved.

The day I arrived in Portland, the day before the start of the Symposium, I got a toothache that kept getting worse and worse. I was determined to not leave early; like us all, I was so, so excited about coming and meeting and drawing alongside of as many as I could in person. So I took the maximum dosage of Ibuprofen, numbed the tooth with dabs of Oil of Clove, given to me by my Portland friend John who had picked it up in Malaysia, and ran back often to my room to apply hot compresses to my jaw. I heard some complain that there wasn't enough time to eat during the day, there was so much happening. This was no problem for me: I could hardly eat because of the pain. If the toothache wasn't enough, I broke out with a mouth-full of ulcers on my lips and gums. I applied Carmex for some relief to my lips. I was determined to stick it out and get back home to my Iowa dentist. I thought a lot of George Washington and how he suffered terrible tooth pain his whole life and still could be President; certainly I could draw with a toothache for a week!

Once home, the toothache ebbed a bit but persisted. And I realized there was collateral damage: from taking too much Ibuprofen, my kidneys had stopped working properly and my feet and legs blew up like water balloons! And the mouth ulcers turned out to be self-inflicted burns from the Oil of Cloves! Yikes!! When I finally made it to the dentist 4 days ago, he reprimanded me for self-medicating. (Yes, Sir! But he just didn't realize how much I wanted to be @ the Symposium.) The upshot: the tooth was cracked front to back all the way through and an abscess had formed around the roots. Now, I'm minus a molar and finally after 3 weeks pain-free.

The first drawing--Toothache & Takeout--I did in Portland. The second--My Tooth Saga--is a still life I set up today on my Cedar Falls kitchen table. I have more drawings to share from the Symposium that are on my Flickr photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/49028620@N04/ I will post them soon. I also included a picture of a slice of the Pfirsich Torte (peach torte, an Austrian recipe from Burgenland) that my good friend Marie made for me for my 59th birthday this week. It was a minor miracle: I could hardly eat anything these past weeks because of the pain, but I had no problem getting this down.

It really was an interesting modern day dilemma: meet people for the 1st time that you've only known until then as on-line thumbnails and simultaneously come down with a functionality altering malady. Not an emergency, no writhing on the pavement or escaped body fluids, but I was definitely not myself. I also didn't want to make it a bummer for you, my very new, realtime friends who were there to participate in a life-changing event. So, putting a good face on a less than ideal situation, seemed the only way I could stick around and not leave the Symposium early.

It was so special meeting you and your cousin. I am so sorry that your malady escalated. Please let your friend know that the Pfirsich Torte looks deliciously decadent and a perfect way to enjoy your birthday!

Lisbeth--It was wonderful to meet you, too. That Indian meal we shared in Portland was like my last supper. I hope there's more sketching together in our future, too.

Beth--Yes, that was a special add-on, running into each other at the art store. Oh, that reminds me, I do have photos of you and your sister that I still need to share. I'm usually not a big dessert eater--not even chocolate--but this was truly divine. I'll pass on your comment to my friend Marie.

Marcia, While the toothache sounds atrocious, you produced some beautiful artwork while in Portland. These toothache drawings really give an idea of the whole ordeal. There is also something visually appealing about bottles and pills. And the torte is delicious. I never seem to have any problems eating it either. Yum.I was not sure how to post on your flickr account but I want to say that I loved the way you portrayed the city. Your drawings made me feel the city. I wanted to walk the streets, sit on the benches, and gaze out on the night-time urban constellations (apartment windows). Thank you so much for sharing you work.

A toothache is not only a pain on the tooth, but also in the entire body. I have experienced the same pain way back and I had to take ibuprofen to ease the pain. The pain was very excruciating and I'm glad that the nurofen worked.

I can imagine the frustration cringing on your seat while having to listen to everyone in the symposium as I happened to have a similar experience on one ironic occasion because it was my very dentist in los angeles who was doing the "dental talk" on the stage. It's always safe to carry a pill around.

I am always fearful that the dental drill will hurt more than the toothache, many people choose to hold off on treatment until the bitter end. In addition, some people still associate a toothache with tooth extraction and the thought of losing a tooth is just too much to bear.

Toothaches are probably one of the most annoying and painful things that can happen to anyone on just an average day. The sensitivity you mention is more likely because of gum tissues like plaque build up causing sensitivity, or even tooth decay leading to the possible exposed nerves and high sensitivity.

One thing I hate is having toothache. No pain reliever drug works for me. I don't know why I get recurring toothache, I think I really need to consult my marietta ga general dentist to find out what's the root cause.

Too much eating sweets and not taking good care of your dental health will surely cause you to have toothache or any dental problem. It is also the same with not taking good care of your eyes, you can experience different eye problems that may result you to have laser eye surgery.

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about the symposium

In late July of 2010, the city of Portland, Oregon (USA), became a canvas for drawing enthusiasts from around the world as Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) and Urban Sketchers (USK) hosted the 1st International Urban Sketching Symposium. The three-day event attracted participants and presenters from diverse corners of the world. In addition to the U.S., other countries represented were Australia, Belgium, Canada, Mauritania, Italy, Japan, Singapore, the Dominican Republic and Spain. The program consisted of lectures, panels, exhibits and field sketching sessions led by a diverse team of international presenters with backgrounds in art education, architecture, illustration and journalism. This blog documents the experience since the Symposium was announced in March. A selection of photographs from the event can be found in this flickr collection. Sketches produced by participants during the event can also be seeing on the Symposium flickr group.

Other Portland resources

World Wide SketchCrawl Day

We'll be observing the 28th World Wide SketchCrawl on July 31st, the third day of the Symposium, in addition to the scheduled program. The global sketching marathons were started by San Francisco artist Enrico Casarosa in 2004. It's a day when people across the world get out to draw wherever they are. Visit the SketchCrawl Forum to arrange sketching meetups in Portland and elsewhere.